If you’re in the market for a new boat, the British Motor Yacht Show is one of the most rewarding events in the marine calendar. Held at Premier’s Swanwick Marina in Southampton over four days in early May, it brings together some of the finest boat building names with some of the industry’s most knowledgeable professionals.
The vast majority of new boats are exhibited down on the pontoons and, in the absence of the usual hot tub, holiday and accessories stands, the focus here is placed very squarely on the boats.
There are no queues to delay your fun and the fact that you get plenty of time to speak to the sales staff means you can get a real feel for how each boat on your shortlist co*pares.
As for the boats themselves, this year’s event will see some big-ticket exhibits from Fairline, Princess and Sunseeker, Pearl and Seaward plus a whole range of models from celebrated overseas builders.
Nordic high flyers, Axopar, Saxdor, Windy and Nordstar will all be there, as will Galeon, Prestige, Sealine and Azimut. Bavaria’s new SR33 will be putting in an appearance, alongside the intoxicating Wellcraft 355 and Fjord’s impeccable 38 Open.
And while Aquila’s 44 Yacht will be on hand to illustrate just how much party space a proper wide-beam power cat can provide, this is also a great show to check out some boating brands that might not yet be so familiar to UK audiences, such as Hinckley, Hylas, Reborn and Protector.
Taking place from Thursday 11 to Sunday 14 May at Premier’s Swanwick Marina, the event is easy to find, parking is plentiful and it’s free to get in. But if you want to step on board and explore a particular boat, you do need to register your interest in advance on the BMYS website. We’ll see you there…
Topic: British Motor Yacht Show gears up for biggest edition yet